Bogan Shire residents who smoke have been invited to take part in a study providing video and telephone support to help rural and remote residents quit smoking.
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The study is targeting rural and regional smokers from NSW, due to the high rates of smoking in some rural communities and the difficulties faced in accessing smoking cessation programs.
The Bogan local government area (LGA) is ranked thirteenth in Australia (of a total 447 LGAs) for the number of people who smoke, according to the Australian Heart Foundation, with an estimated 550 people (25.4 people per 100, age-standardised rate) smoking in 2014-15.
The nearby Cobar LGA was ranked fourteenth, with an estimated 896 smokers in 2014-15 (25.4 people per 100), while the Warren LGA was ranked sixteenth with 515 smokers (25.3 people per 100) and the Narromine LGA was ranked 35th with 1050 (23.5 people per 100).
The study by the University of Newcastle’s Dr Flora Tzelepis is the first of its kind, providing real-time video counselling delivered via Skype, FaceTime or Facebook Messenger, as well telephone and written materials, to smokers in their homes.
“These smoking cessation programs are designed to be accessible to those in rural communities to help them to quit smoking,” Dr Tzelepis said.
“Those who live in rural areas may find it difficult to access face-to-face services, as they may need to travel long distances.
“The smoking cessation programs offered as part of this study aim to overcome such barriers.”
It was important those wanting to quit had access to smoking cessation programs, Dr Tzelepis said, because of the positive benefits for the person’s overall health, as well as the health system generally.
“Tobacco use causes numerous diseases including coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, cancers and respiratory diseases,” she said.
“Quitting smoking reduces the risk of tobacco-related disease including among long-term smokers.”
To be eligible people should be aged 18 years or older, smoke cigarettes or use tobacco every day, have access to a telephone, mode of video-communication, internet and a current email address and live in a regional or remote area of NSW.